SHUSWAP PEOPLE OF BEITISH COLUMBIA. 21 



A hole about ten feet square and two deep was then dag in a gravelly bank near the lake 

 shore, which was filled with broken pine branches. Upon these were piled several cords 

 of dry cedar and pine, ar£d this was covered over with small boulders. The pile was then 

 lighted in several places, and left for some hours to take care of itself When the Indians 

 returned to it the stones lay glowing among a mass of ernbers. The few unburnt pieces 

 of wood which remained near the edges were raked away, and the women with wooden 

 spades banked up the sides of the pile with sand, throwing enough of it over the stones 

 to fill up every little crevice through which a tongue of flame might be thrust up from 

 the coals that still burned beneath the stones. Then the whole was covered with the 

 maple and alder boughs to the depth of a foot or more after they had been well trampled 

 down. Over these were placed the wide leaves of the skunk-cabbage until every cranny 

 was closed. Sheets of tamarac-bark were then spread over the steaming green mass, and 

 upon these the bulbs were placed. About half of them were in bark baskets closed at 

 the mouth, and each holding about a bushel and a half These were carried to the centre 

 of the pile. The lichen of which I have spoken was then laid over the unoccupied bark, 

 having been well washed first, and over it were strewn the bulbs that remained. The 

 whole was then covered with boughs and leaves as before and roofed with sheets of bark. 

 Upon this three or four inches of sand was thrown, and over all was heaped the material 

 for another fire, larger CA^eu than the first one. "When this was lighted the sun was just 

 setting, and it continued to burn all night. 



"The next morning our camp was moved away, and I was unable to see the results 

 of the day's labour. I was told, however, by one of the Indians who could speak a little 

 English, that their oven would be allowed a day in which to cool, aud that when opened 

 the bulbs in the baskets would have ' dissolved to flour,' from which bread could be 

 made, while those mixed with the lichen would have united with it to form a solid sub- 

 stance resembling black plug tobacco in colour and consistency, which could be broken 

 up aud kept sweet for a long time." ' 



The picking of each kind of berry is regulated by custom. For each recognized 

 berrying ground some experienced old woman takes charge and watches the ripening of 

 the fruit. Finally, when it is full time, word is sent to the other neighbouring Indians 

 and the harvest begins. The picking and drying of berries is, of course, women's work. 

 The service-berry {Amelanchier alnifolia) is the most important. It is often dried after 

 having been partly cooked, and in the form of black cakes is thus kept for winter use. 

 The mode of drying these berries is similar to that in use by the Tinneh tribes to the 

 north. A large species of blueberry ( FaccmJMOT mT/rliUoides), naraeâ. loï-nan in Shoo-whâ- 

 ^a.-Taooh, tsoo-tsl-liip in N-tla-kâ-pe-mooh, is also important. This generally grows pretty 

 high on the mountains, and to the well-known spots where it abounds excursions are 

 anniially made at the appropriate season. The A'ery small low-growing blueberry {V. 

 ■myrtillus), which abounds in some wooded places in the autumn, is also gathered in large 

 quantities. For collecting these berries a wooden scoop with a comb-like edge is employed, 

 the excessive labour otherwise necessary being thus obviated. 



The wild currant (Ribes cereum), which grows well only on the dry slopes of the 

 lower and hotter valleys, is also esteemed, aud the berry of Sliepherdia Canadensis, which is 



1 ' Garden and Forest,' July 16, 1890. 



